Appraise decisions: What are promising
strategic options to
adapt to climate
change?
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Why has this question been chosen?
Recognition by the
central staff that a new
planning approach had
to be developed and
adopted, including a
new framing the
adaptation challenge, as
the finiteness of the
current water
management system
under climate change.
Due to the lead time
necessary, due to the
length of planning and
policy cycles, for
implementing options,
none of the options can
be considered shortterm.
There is a requirement in
the Delta Programme to
identify and appraise
flexibility in adaptation
options and pathways,
e.g. possibilities for
speeding-up/slowing
down or step-wise
implementation of an
option depending on
observed change and
new information.
Which methods have been applied?
Adaptation pathway
assessment. Adaptation
measures were clustered to
yield strategic options to be
implemented progressively,
depending on the speed of
climate change and in
particular sea level rise.
Why have these methods been selected?
For the Delta commission key
aspects of a decision making
framework must include the
following:
Linking short-term
decisions with long-term
planning around flood risk
management and freshwater,
taking into account
uncertainties in climate and
socio-economic scenarios;
Working with adaptation
pathways that consist of
multiple strategies that can be
alternated between, actively
timing decisions and using
windows of opportunity;
Identify and appraise
flexibility in adaptation
options and pathways, e.g.
possibilities for speedingup/
slowing down or step-wise
implementation of an option
depending on observed
change and new information;
Actively investigate and
appraise opportunities to link
investment agendas of public
and private parties to
capitalise on synergies and
innovative investment
schemes.
What results have been obtained?
Continuing the current
strategy. Sand replenishments
and improving dykes and
hydraulic structures;
Prevention plus. Linking the
current prevention strategy to
ecological and other objectives
and ambitions (e.g. by
developing innovative dykes
and using natural processes
more);
System interventions. Such
as additional replenishments
along the North Sea coast if
the current or optimised
prevention strategy of sand
replenishments does not
sufficiently counter the
Wadden Sea 'drowning';
Investments in spatial
organisation and disaster
management (multi-layer
safety). Preventing casualties
and damage in the case of a
flood.
